Gavin Sheets’ three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning Thursday capped a five-run rally enabling the San Diego Padres to outslug the host Colorado Rockies 10-8 in Denver.
Sheets’ third homer of the year, all against Colorado pitching, scored Xander Bogaerts and pinch runner Bryce Johnson. It slapped a blown save on Victor Vodnik (0-2), who fanned Fernando Tatis Jr. as the potential tying run to end the eighth.
But Vodnik gave up a leadoff walk to Jackson Merrill, followed by a single to Manny Machado. Bogaerts and Miguel Andujar then supplied RBI singles that preceded Sheets’ dramatic blast on his 30th birthday.
Ron Marinaccio (1-0) picked up his first MLB win in two years by pitching two innings in relief. Closer Mason Miller locked down his ninth save with a scoreless ninth, enabling him to tie Cla Meredith for the franchise record for consecutive scoreless innings with 33 2/3.
Wasted in the loss for the Rockies was Mickey Moniak’s second two-homer game of the year against San Diego. Moniak went 4-for-5 with three runs to lead a 14-hit attack.
The Padres’ rally took starter Matt Waldron off the hook after he was roughed up for eight hits and six runs in five innings with three walks and three strikeouts. Colorado starter Ryan Feltner, who left after two innings with right triceps tightness, allowed two hits and a run with a walk and three strikeouts.
Moniak’s solo blast in the first started the scoring, but Andujar lined a two-run double in the second. The Rockies scored four two-out runs in their half of the inning, sandwiching RBI singles from Edouard Julien and Troy Johnston around TJ Rumfield’s two-run double.
Ramon Laureano’s run-scoring triple in the fourth got San Diego within 5-3, but Tyler Freeman’s squeeze bunt plated a run in Colorado’s half of the inning. Bogaerts belted a solo homer in the fifth, his fourth of the year, for a 6-4 deficit.
Moniak drilled his second homer in the sixth and Johnston tacked on his second RBI single in the seventh. Laureano singled home a run in the eighth to get the Padres within 8-5.
Laureano collected three of the Padres’ 13 hits and Andujar drove in three runs.
